A Transitional Year
by Lady Saffir
Summary: Jasper POV as he recalls the first year spent with Alice. He had struggled mightily, the past three hundred and sixty-five days. The first time they had crossed the path with a human’s scent, he had almost been driven back to his former hunting ways.


A Transitional Year

By: Lady Saffir

Rating: We'll go with PG, just to be totally safe.

DISCLAIMER: I own no rights to the Twilight universe, the wonderful Stephenie Meyer does.

Written for the Novel Novice May/June prompt, Anniversaries.

"I wish you knew how much you changed me. I wonder if I changed you, if your life is different because of me. Because mine's different."

************

One year.

One year since he had met Alice, that fateful day in a tiny little diner. One year since her mercurial moods had captured his attention, enticing him like a drug he didn't want to give up. One year of finding out there were other ways to survive and not be such a burden on society.

One year of abstaining from human blood.

Jasper wasn't sure if, had he Alice's talent, he would have avoided the diner and its sole vampire occupant that rainy day in Philly. He thought perhaps he would have still entered the diner, if nothing else for the sheer novelty of trying another way of existing. The thought that there was another way for vampires to co-exist with humans and not be their silent hunters had first intrigued him.

Now it wore at him.

When he had first listened to Alice recount her visions of Carlisle Cullen and his unique approach to drinking blood, Jasper had to admit he found the idea repulsive. He had smelled the blood of animals before, and while the scent made the burn at the back of his throat flare, it held not a hundredth of the appeal of human blood. Why would any vampire shun their natural food source and turn to the wild beasts that roamed the earth?

When he had said as much to Alice, the tiny dark haired woman had looked at him disapprovingly.

"You were beginning to wish there was another way to survive without having to kill humans," she had chided him.

This had happened on their fourth day together, and already Jasper was comfortable calling Alice out on her visions.

"You might have seen me tell you that in the future, but I haven't yet," he refuted. Her quick smile and flash of chagrin had made him forget his irritation at her. It wasn't her fault that she lived as much in the future as she did the present.

He had struggled mightily, the past three hundred and sixty-five days. The first time they had crossed the path with a human's scent, he had almost been driven back to his former hunting ways. It had only been Alice's hand on his arm, her feelings of caring and concern that managed, barely, to break through the haze of bloodlust.

She had found other ways to distract him that day, he remembered. He had been aware of his attraction to her and had thought her indifferent to him. When she had jumped him, her mouth attacking his own, opened in surprise, he had realized that all along she had wanted him, cared for him. She had seen what they could become and had been patient with him.

He still wondered if she had deliberately steered them across the hours old scent, just so she could grab his attention in such a sure fire way.

The burn at the back of his throat had yet to ease when they were around humans, but Jasper knew his emotional well-being was much stronger than once was. The alternative food source and Alice's companionship had done wonders for easing his guilty conscience. Alice swore to him that she had seen the day he would be able to interact with humans for hours at a time and he believed.

Just as he had believed her when she said they would find family and friends within the Cullen coven, though she said they saw themselves only as a family. They were standing at the beginning of the mile long drive to the Cullen house, Alice's emotions running high and excited. She turned to him, her smile infectious.

"Happy anniversary, Jasper."

Of course she would know what today was. He smiled and bent to kiss her, then took her hand and began the short walk that would lead them to their new life.


End file.
